Today is the Sunday of Fastelavn, or Shrovetide which is the word my English dictionary gave me for translation. It is time for carnivals and celebrations before the 40 days of Lent. I have spent more than a year now working on my book about Lent, and this year, through it's seven weeks, I plan to follow the special lent calendar I am creating. My blog, and my reading, will be influenced by this.
Every year during Lent I read Joanne Harris's book Chocolat I started it again today, and loved arriving in Lansquenet-sous-Tannes with Vianne and her daughter Anouk. How I wish I could visit her Chocolaterie for a few pieces of her home made chocolate, and may be even make friends with Vianne. I hope I am not too narrow minded to welcome outsiders like Vianne and Anouk.
Joanne Harris has written a piece of art, just listen to the first sentence;
We came on the wind of the carnival. A warm wind for February, laden with the hot greasy scents of frying pancakes and sausages and powdery-sweet waffles cooked on thehot plate right there by the roadside.
I have got so many great comments and e-mails after I started writing my booktalks here in my House in the Woods. And several of you have given me ideas for books I want to read. Two weeks ago Caroline mentioned A Perfect Red, and after reading Victoria Finlay's Colour, I knew this would be a book after my heart. I went over to amazon right away and ordered the book, and two days ago it was dropped in my mailbox. The first week of Lent will be my red week, the first colour in the rainbow, and A Perfect Red will be my read, together with Tracy Chevalier's The Lady and the Unicorn - another book, this time a novel, by one of my favorite writers, which tells alot about the dying of colours. I met Tracy Chevalier in Oslo when she was working on this book and she told me about The Cluny Museum in Paris and the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. I had a visit to Paris planned already, and went to the museum to see The Lady and the Unicorn. The tapestries are great! And so is the book!
Venice.
I have finished Jan Morris' book about Venice, and now picked from my collection a book set in Venice which I have not read yet. Many of the books I have, I have already read several times, but this one will be a new experience. And a great way to build up my Venice mood in preparations for the upcoming trip. The book is The Floating Bookby Michelle Lovric. Isn't that a fitting name for a Venice book :-) The story is set in Venice in 1468, and is among other things about the first printing press in the city. Photo shows a floating Venice in September 2005.
I've had a very busy week at work, so hopefully this coming week will be a bit more quiet, giving me some of all the reading time I will need for these great books. Wish me good luck......and I always love more book recommandations.